Electrical terminal device.



0; s. SOHAIRER. ELECTRICAL TERMINAL DEVICE. I APPLICATION FILED AUG-.6, 1910. RENEWED SEPT. 13, 1912.

1,059,397. Patented Apr. 22, 1913.

WITNESSES:

O 5 j EVENTQR' ATT-ORNEY UNI ED s. sormmnn, or nnenwoion PARK,

STATES rarnivr OFFICE.

PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T ESTING- H USE LAMP contra-inst, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVA IA.

ELE TRIOAL TERMINAL DEVICE.

Application filed'lrn'gu st 6, 191", Serial No. 576,003.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Renewed September 13, 1912. Serial No. 720,275.

To all whom it may concern tndinally moving Be it known that I, Orro S. SC HAIRER, a citizen-of the United States, and a resident of Edgewood Park, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electrical Terminal Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to electrical terminal devices, and particularly to devices whereby current may be conducted to and from longifilaments or other con- .tluctors.

The object of my invention is to provide a device of the character indicated by means of which current may be conducted to a horizontally and longitudinally moving conductor without subjecting the same to undue strains, and it may be readily and conveniently applied to the conductor.

It has heretofore been proposed to treat or prepare filaments for incandescent lamps by applying different amounts of current to -a longitudinally moving filament in different stages of its movement, the means for efiecting this result comprising a series of terminal members having alined apertures through which the filament passes, the portions of the terminal members surrounding the apertures by capillary a the apertures being amalgamated, so that bodies of mercury may be suspended across tion and surface tension. However, these devices do not readily permit of horizontal movement of the filament, and require threading of the filamenttherethrough in order to start the treating 40, ,gisunnecessary, and so that the device may readily applied to the'filament.

d'rawing device constituting the pr en IIWQBUOIIP process. The present device is primarily iu-' tended for use when the'filament is moved horizontally, and it is also so constructed that threading of the filament therethrough Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying are a side and a plan view, respecof the simplest form of the terminal t-ively,

Figs.'3 and 4 are a sideand' a plan hyiew," respectively, of a modified form of t e device, and Figs. 5 and 6 are similarviews of another/modification of the device.

In its simplest form, the device comprises a recessed member or receptacle 1, having opposing prongs or pro ect1ons 2 extending upwardly from its sides. The receptacle I contains a body 1 ofmercury and the prongs, 2 are amalgamated, in order that they may possess a positive degree of capil lary attraction for the mercury, which, if

'a suflicient amount thereof is placed in the' receptacle, will rise between the prongs somewhat above the sides of the receptacle, as the result of capillary action. A sheet or wall of mercury is thus'provided between the prongs the upper edge of which is concave, and the filament'or conductor 3, toor from which the device is adapted to conduct current, is placed between the prongs upon the up er concave surface of the mercury, the welght of the filament serving to-p'artially or wholly embed it in the mercury.

3; and 4) that communiwith the main receptacle,

with an auxiliary recess or Patented A r. 22, 1.913.

and contains a relatively large supply of mercury for the main receptacle.

The walls of the auxiliary receptacle 5 are preferably that the full weight of the mercury therein may be utilized for assisting in maintaining the wall of mercury between the prongs. Otherwise, the operation of the device of Figs. 3 and 4, is, of course, similar to that .of Figs. 1 and 2. i

When the terminal device is used cOnt-inuously and the current which is conducted to the filament is suflicient to heat the filament to incandescence, it may be desirable to pro-' vide'means for coolin the terminal member, arid,*to this end, the 'evice of Figs. 5 and 6,

not. amalgamated, in order which is constructed in other respects like tliat of Figs. 3 and 4, is surrounded by a pipe 6' through whichfwater may be conducted for conveyingaway the heat.' 5 I claim as my invention? 1. A device of he character described I comprising a receptacle having upwardly projecting prongs, and a body of anercury within. the receptacle and partially suspended between the prongs.

2. A device of the character described comprising a receptacle having upwardly projecting amalgamated prongs, and a body of mercury contained Within the receptacle and partially suspended between the prongs.

3. A device of the character described comprising communicating receptacles. of different depths, opposing prongs projecting above the sides of the receptacle of less depth, and mercury within the said receptacle and partially suspended between the prongs.

4. A device of the character described comprising communicating receptacles, opposing prongs projecting above the sides of one of the receptacles, and mercury within the said receptacles and partially suspended between the prongs.

5. A- device of; the character described comprising communicating receptacles, opposing amalgamated prongs projecting above the sides of one of the receptacles, thesidessof the other receptacle being unamalgamated, and mercury within the: said receptacles and partially suspended between the prongs.

G. A device of the character described comprising communicating receptacles of different depths, opposing amalgamated prongs projecting above the sides of the receptacle of less depth, the sides of the deeper receptacle being unamalgamated, and mercury within the said receptacles and partially suspendedbetween' the prongs.

7. A device of the character .described comprising a receptacle having opposing prongs projecting above the sides of the receptacle, a body of mercury Within the receptacle and partially suspended between the prongs, and means for cooling the remedium'disposed adjacent to the receptacle.

9. A device of the character described comprising a member having upwardly projecting prongs and a body of mercury suspended between the prongs.

In testimony whereof, I subscribed my name this 3rd day of August, 1910.

- OTTO S. SOHAIRER. \Vitnesses:

B. B. HINEs,

J. DEARBORN.

have hereunto 

